Earthquake in Caribbean Sea Triggers Tsunami Advisories
A magnitude 7.6 earthquake in the Caribbean Sea has triggered tsunami advisories in various coastal regions, with waves predicted for Cuba and other areas.
A magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck the Caribbean Sea on February 8, 2025, approximately 200 km south of the Cayman Islands. The quake occurred at a depth of 10 km below the Earth's surface.
In response to this powerful earthquake, the National Weather Service's (NWS) Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre issued tsunami alerts for several coastal regions including:
- Cayman Islands
- Jamaica
- Cuba
- Mexico
- Honduras
- Bahamas
- San Andres and Providencia
- Belize
- Haiti
- Costa Rica
- Panama
- Nicaragua
- Guatemala
Although many alerts were later retracted, it is still possible to expect tsunami waves of 1-3 metres above tide level along parts of Cuba's coast, and waves reaching 0.3-1 metre above tide level along the coastlines of the Cayman Islands and Honduras.
Tsunami advisories have also been issued for Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The NWS warned, "Earthquakes of this size are known to generate tsunamis dangerous to shorelines near the source."
The NWS added that the earliest estimated time for hazardous sea level fluctuations and strong ocean currents in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands is 9:48 p.m. AST on February 8, 2025.
